Knitting machine



Spt. 4, 1945. P. N. TOONE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 16, 1943 2Sheets-Sheet l Inventor R. N. Toonz,

' Attoriey Sept. 4, 1945.

P. N. TOONE 2,384,214

' KNITTING MACHINE Filed'Oct. 16 1945 V 2 sheets-sheet 2 Inventor v R.N.Too-;,

I By I Allor nzv Patented Sept. 4, 1945 Ralph Norman Toone, WollatonPark, England, assig-nor to B. ToonegiNottingham) Limited, Nottingham,England Application October 16, 1943, Serial No. 506,569

, In Great Britain August 25, 1942 4 Claims.

This invention is for improvements in ermlating to knitting machines,and is particularly; but not exclusively, concerned with splicingmechanism in seamless hoseand half hose machines. In producing splicingon a circular knit: ting machine it is usual to introduce the splicingthread into knitting activity for a predetermined portion of each,course, the splicing threadfloating chord-like in the interior of theneedle circle for that portion of each course during which it is notknitted. These floats are in the majority of instances subsequently cutout by hand, a1- though prior U. S. Patent No. 2,295,450, grantedSeptember 8, 1942, to Bernard T. Cole, describes mechanism wherein thethread or yarn is severed at each withdrawal so that the formation offloats is obviated. It is desirable that at each re-introduction of theyarn or thread to the needles said threads shall be fed with accuracy toa predetermined needle, and the present invention has for its object toprovide means whereby the withdrawn thread is so positioned that thisaccurate re-introduction results. It will be appreciated, however, thatthe present invention is not restricted in its application to splicingmechanism, but may be applied to other mechanisms wherein a thread oryarn is introduced into the fabric at intervals. Specific examples aremechanisms for the production of split work, or plating. I

As viewed from one aspect, the invention provides in or for a knittingmachine having a yarn feeder displaceable between feeding and nonfeedingpositions, a yarn-control device located or adapted to be located at theplain side of the needles, remote from the feeder, in ,a stationaryattitude to receive a withdrawn yarn upon movement of the feeder tonon-feeding position and to position said yarn for re-introduction tothe needles upon movement of the feeder to feeding position, comprisinga catch for receiving the yarn but permitting it to draw out endwisetherefrom. Preferably the device incorporates a narrow gap into whichthe thread is carried by movement of the feeder to nonfeeding position,and a hook that engages the thread upon movement of the feeder towardsfeeding position and diverts said thread into the hook interiorconstituting the catch.

These and other features of the invention set out in the appended claimsare incorporated in the construction that will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an improvementin the apparatus dis- Figure 1 is a front elevation (looking from theinterior of the needle circle) and Figure 2 a side elevation showing thedevice incorporated in mechanism according to the aforesaid patent;Figures 3-7 are views showing the said device in front elevation andillustrating its action;

Figure 8 is a sectional plan of the device; Figure 9 is a plan of adetail. At the interior of the needle circle there is mounted a deviceI10 according to this invention which functions to receive the splicingor other thread S when the feeder I0 is raised to-the in operativeposition and to position the said thread accurately for itsre-introduction to the needles N upondescent of the feeder. This deviceI10 is normally stationary. Viewing the said device IIO from theinterior of the needle circle and considering the needle cylinder torotate anticlockwise so that the needles pass at the rear of the devicefrom right to left between said device and the feeder, the said deviceconsists of two plate members IlI, I12, the main one (I'll) of which iscut in its front face with a vertical groove which is adjacent to itsright-hand edge. In this groove the second plate member I12 is securedby a screw or other means I13 in such manner that the left-hand edge ofthe second member is spaced (at least for the lower part of its height)from the left-hand edge of the groove and the rear face of the secondmember is spaced 'froin' the face of the rebate or groove. Thus there isprovided between the two members 'an open-ended gap I14 which issubstantially L- shaped in horizontal cross section (Fig. 3) The secondmember I12 is provided with an up.- wardly-directed hook portion I'l2aat its righthand edge, the tip of the hook being curved backwards towardthe face of the groove (so as to encroach into the gap I14) andbeing'located slightlyto the left of the projecting lip or wall Illa,formed on the first member I'll at the right-hand edge of the groove.The interior of the hook (the catch aforesaid) isin the form of avertical tslit I15. The arrangement of this'device' I'lfl is thereforesuch that 'as the feeder I0 rises to the non-feeding position thewithdrawn yam' S. passes between the two plate members into the L-shapedgap I14 and is therefore diverted from its straight run (Fig. 3). At

the extremity of the upward movement of the feeder Ill the said divertedthread lies above, the tip ;of the hook and is further diverted=fromits; approximate L shape by the aforesaid wallpr 'lip I'IIa around whichit extends back to the feeder (Fig. 4). When the feeder II! commences(Fig. 5) to descend to the feeding position the thread is carried downover the rearwardly-directed tip of the hook I'IZa, so that it passesinto the slit or hook interior I75. At this stage (Fig. 6) the thread Sruns from the feeder eye ID across the needle .circle' to the right-handedge of the hook 211, across the front face of the latter into the slitor interior I75 of the hook, thence behind the second plate member I72andbetween the latter and the front face of the groove, and thenoutwards through the gap I'M'a between the lefthand margin-of the grooveand v the left-hand margin of the second plate member I?! which itsprotruding free end is presented.

The device I?!) is so positioned that the-portion of the thread thatextends from the feeder Hi i to it extends radially across the needlesN. As

the rotation of the latter causes it to draw out endwise from the deviceI10.

The reception of the thread S in the device I10 is facilitated byproviding a throat I'I'I which leads to the aforesaid L-shaped gap I14.For this purpose the lower edge of the first plate member is curveddownwards to the left, while the left-hand edge of the second platemember extends straightly downwards beyond said curving edge.

The application of the device I10 to a known form of knitting machinemechanism will now be described. The feeder I0 (e. g., a splicingfeeder) is operated by push rod II in known manner; it carries a pin I8which as the feeder is raised to the non-feeding position eventuallyengages a screw I1 projecting from an arm I6 pivoted at the feeder axisI4, The rest position f this arm I6 is determined by an adjustabletappet screw normally bearing on a part of the feeder bracket, and thearm carries a yarn eye -22 and a yarnretarding device I9 (convenientlyin the form of a pair of spring-pressed cymbals), the yarn S runningfrom said eye 22, through the cymbals l9, to the eye I0 of the feederI0. A cutter block 21 carrying knives 29, is supported in- 1 side theneedle circle by a knife arm 26 pivoted This cutter is capable of beingraised 7 S from the needles the withdrawn yarn is carried round into.the cutter 29, 30: the feeder raises arm I6 through the medium of pin I8and screw I1 and the arm rocks the cutter lever BI (through I the mediumof screw 28) to operate the cutter.

Obviously, the timing of the cutter in relation to the withdrawal of theyarn can be adjusted by screws I1, 20 and 28. When the feeder I0 islowered to re-introduce the free' end of yarn to the needles the arm I6descends with it until feeder descends alone and the grip of the cymbalsI9 on the yarn causes the free yarn end to be drawn back through thefeeder eye Ill. The extent of this draw-back, and the length of yarnend, can be predetermined by adjustment of screw 20.

The improved device I10 according to the present inv'entionis suspendedfrom the platform which projects across the needle circle from the topof the feeder bracket 8I and is moved into and out of operative positionas the cutter arm 26 is. so moved. That is to say at the commencement ofthe spliced or like area the device I 10 is lowered to the operativeposition by the cutter arm 26 and at the termination of said area it israised to the inoperative position with the cutter arm 26 and during theproduction of the said area said device remains stationary in theoperative position. To this end the said device IIfl is provided with aspindle 82 which extends upwards through a sleeve 83 fixed on the saidplatform and is biased in the upwards direction by a compression spring84 encircling the spindle. Conveniently a pin 85 projects from thespindle 82 through a verticalslot 86 in the sleeve 83, into a housingsleeve or thimble 81, the spring 84 being interposed between the closedupper end of thimble 8'! and the top of fixed sleeve 83. The devicemaytherefore be raised by handif required. Projecting from the cutter block21 or from another suitable part moving. with the cutter arm 26 there isa small arm or other projection 88 which is adapted to overlie a pin orother shoulder 89 on the said device I10 so that when the cutter arm 26descends the device H0 is lowered and when the cutter arm rises thedevice is raised by the aforesaid compression spring 84. e V

According to a further subsidiary feature of this invention theaforesaid platform 313 is employed as a guide plate to guide the variousthreads to the battery of interchangeable yarn feeders, and means areprovided for mounting said platform on the existing feeder bracket 8I.As is well known and as is shown in the aforesaid Letters Patent No.2,295,450 the feeder bracket is of inverted U -shaped construction. Theupper surface of the cross bar 8 Ia thereof is curved and diificulty isexperienced in mounting anyattachment thereon. According to the. presentinvention there is employed a mounting block 90 having in itsundersurface a recess or groove whiching block 90 closely between them.The said lugs 80b are provided with horizontal slots 92 and through eachslot a screw 93 extends horizontally into theadjacent end of themounting block "93.

The said slots 92 therefore afford an adjustment of the platform 80towards and away from the centre of the needle circle. stood, of course}that the device I'll) may be mounted on any other fixed part of theapparatus.

I claim: v l

1. In a knitting'machine of the kind having needles and a yarn feederdisplaceable between feeding and nonfeeding positions; a yarnecontroldevice located atthe plain side of the needles It will be underin a.stationary attitude for receiving a withdrawn yarn upon movement of thefeeder to nonfeeding position and for positioning said yarn forre-introduction to the needles upon movement of the feeder to thefeeding position, which device is stationary during between feeding andnon-feeding positions and comprises a narrow gap, extending transverselyof the run of the yarn and in the general direction in which the yarn ismoved upon movement of the feeder to non-feeding position, for receptionof the yarn upon said movement to non-feeding position; a hook forreceiving the yarn upon movement of the feeder to feeding position; anda tip to said hook, encroaching into the gap, for engaging the yarn uponthe last-said movement and for diverting it into the hook.

2. A machine according to claim 1, having the gap formed between twoadjacent members one of which is formed with the hook, and having thetip of the hook deflected towards the other member into the gap.

3. In a knitting machine of the kind having needles, a yarn-feederdisplaceable repeatedly between feeding and non-feeding positions toincorporate its yarn intermittently in the fabric, and a severing devicelocated at the plain side of the needles to sever the yarn at eachwithdisplacement of the feeder 7 drawal; a yarn-control device locatedat the plain side of the needles for receiving the withdrawn yarn uponmovement of the feeder to non-feeding position and for positioning theyarn for reintroduction, and means supporting said control devicebetween the severing means and the needles in a stationary attitudeduring the aforesaid movement of the feeder, which control device isformed with a gap for the entry of the yarn upon movement of the feederto non-feeding position, and a hook for receiving and supporting theyarn extending through the gap but permitting it to draw out endwisetherefrom upon movement of the feeder to feeding position, which hookhas a tip protruding into the gap to engage the yarn and to divert itinto the hook.

4. For a combination according to claim 1, a device comprising twomembers whereof one has a rebate near one margin and the other isdisposed in said rebate with its face spaced from the face of the rebateand an edge spaced from the edge of the rebate whereby there is formedbetween said members a narrow gap of bent section extending from thesaid margin to the edge of the rebate; and a hook, formed in the othersaid member, having its tip adjacent to the said margin and encroachinginto the gap.

RALPH NORMAN TOONE.

